


Dark Mirror - Part One

by comradecourt, Hufflepuff_Scamander



Series: Dark Mirror Series [1]
Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Tragedy, Blood and Violence, Book 6: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Butterfly Effect, Canonical Character Death, Dark Albus Dumbledore, Eventual Romance, Family Drama, Gen, Implied/Referenced Torture, M/M, Manipulative Albus Dumbledore, Manipulative Gellert Grindelwald, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Prophetic Visions, Rating May Change, Revolutionary Rhetoric, Seer Gellert Grindelwald, The Deathly Hallows, The Ministry of Magic (Harry Potter) is Terrible, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-02
Updated: 2021-02-09
Packaged: 2021-03-07 15:54:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26500210
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/comradecourt/pseuds/comradecourt, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hufflepuff_Scamander/pseuds/Hufflepuff_Scamander
Summary: Albus Dumbledore meddles with time to fix his past mistakes, and as a result his younger self goes down a darker path after that fateful summer of 1899.
Relationships: Aberforth Dumbledore & Albus Dumbledore & Ariana Dumbledore, Aberforth Dumbledore & Gellert Grindelwald, Albus Dumbledore & Kendra Dumbledore, Albus Dumbledore & Percival Dumbledore, Albus Dumbledore/Gellert Grindelwald, Ariana Dumbledore & Gellert Grindelwald
Series: Dark Mirror Series [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2144040
Comments: 35
Kudos: 46





	1. The Book

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Albus reflects on his past relationships with both Gellert Grindelwald and Tom Riddle, blaming himself for their respective turns to darkness. He decides he must fix these failures.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a fic I've wanted to write for a long time, I've just been trying to figure out how best to write it. I always found the idea of dark!Albus really interesting, and since I'm a huge Grindeldore fan, I wanted to write a story where Albus stayed with Gellert and became a dark wizard with him.
> 
> This story will have romance, but it will also explore Albus' somewhat dysfunctional relationship with his family, and for the first few chapters things will be pretty close to canon (well, my imagining of canon anyway) but later on things will change drastically. Other characters will be featured and become important later, some will stay the same but some may go a very different path.
> 
> Huge thank you goes out to ComradeCourt for giving me the idea about “the book” and what Albus does with it, and for beta reading and editing this chapter, as well for being really encouraging as I’ve been writing this fic! ❤️

**  
Hogwarts, 1997**

Albus Dumbledore looked down at his right hand. His hand looked like it belonged to a dead man, the skin withered and black. He supposed that was quite fitting, considering he had less than a year to live. 

He had been foolish and reckless. Albus knew that Marvolo Gaunt's ring had been a Horcrux, but he had wanted so badly to see his family he had lost again… to apologize for how terribly selfish he had been and beg for forgiveness. He should have known that Voldemort had cursed that ring, but he put it on anyway. It was a mistake that could have been easily avoided with a bit of common sense. Now that mistake was killing him. 

It was nothing new that his mistakes were coming back to haunt him.

Albus thought back to the day he had stepped into Wool’s Orphanage. How he had looked into the dark eyes of a little boy named Tom Marvolo Riddle and seen _evil_. He had interrogated Tom and then used his power to burn the boy’s only belongings.

At the time, Albus thought that was the right choice. He knew Tom had probably used his magic to harm the other children, and he could sense the darkness that radiated from the boy, powerful and dangerous.

Tom had been a good student, a magical prodigy with a brilliant mind to match. Albus remembered how eager the boy had been to earn his approval, how hard he worked to impress him. Yet, he had always been cold to the boy, never giving him the attention he had so craved.

Albus couldn’t help but wonder… if he had treated Tom less harshly, would things have been different? Perhaps if he had been a little kinder, a little more approachable, he could have molded Tom into a better person. All of this senseless violence and tragedy could have been prevented. 

He stared at the old red ribbon he was twirling in his left hand. This ribbon had belonged to someone else once. It was Gellert’s favorite to tie back his wild, golden hair with. 

_Gellert._ By Merlin, Albus had been even worse with him, but in an entirely different way. While he had driven Tom away and failed to be a proper mentor, he had enabled Gellert and outright _encouraged_ him, much to his shame.

Albus had been so intoxicated by Gellert’s charisma, intelligence, and beauty. He would have followed the blond anywhere, even off a cliff. If Gellert told him to jump, Albus's only response would be "how high?". When Gellert started to talk of Wizard supremacy, and of the idea of them finding the Hallows and using their combined power to change the world, it sounded like a wonderful thing.

The idea of avenging his father and sister, and fighting in a revolution with his lover had been so very tempting. He had never questioned Gellert, even when he knew in his heart what they were planning was wrong. Albus was in love, so in love in fact he wanted to abandon his family.

By the time he had come to his senses, it was too late. Ariana had died in a fight between him, Gellert, and Aberforth. Gellert had begged Albus to come with him, but Aberforth desperately tried to get him to stay. 

Even after Gellert had left, Albus continued to enable him, this time with silence. He knew exactly what Gellert had wanted to do, and he had the power to stop it before it began, but he didn’t. Albus couldn’t muster up the courage to face his former lover and fight him, even as people died because of the war he started. He only fought Gellert because he had been _forced_ , because he had no choice. 

The doors to his office opened. A familiar figure with raven hair and dark clothes made his way to the desk. 

“Good evening, Severus.” The Headmaster greeted the Potions Master.

“Good evening to you as well, Sir.” Severus gave a short, polite nod.

“You’re here because you have new information to tell me, I presume?” Albus asked.

“Yes. I’ve found out who was behind the incident with the cursed necklace and the poisoned mead.” Severus replied bluntly. 

“It was Draco Malfoy, as I suspected. He intended to assassinate you, luckily for you he failed. Unfortunately, he will probably try again; Voldemort himself has picked him to kill you.”

Albus sighed deeply, his head falling into his hands. He wasn’t shocked, but to hear this news saddened him nonetheless. Malfoy may have been from a family of Death Eaters, but he was still a _child,_ one being forced to participate in this nefarious plan. 

“We must not allow that to happen, Severus.” A look of determination sparked in Albus’ eyes. “If he does kill me… it would _destroy_ him, darken his very soul. I refuse to let that happen to him if I can help it.”

There were a few long, painful moments of silence. Albus looked into the Potion Master’s dark eyes, his own blue ones filled with sadness.

“Severus… have you ever done something terrible, and wanted so badly to go back and do things differently, but knew that you could not? Do you know the _guilt_ and the _pain_ that comes with it?” 

Severus was quiet for a few moments, his eyes to the floor and his lips in a thin straight line. After a while he finally spoke. 

“Yes.” His voice was quiet and strained, almost a whisper. “I know that feeling _very_ well.”

“I don’t want Draco to be burdened with this for the rest of his life.” Albus spoke softly, twirling the red ribbon through his fingers again. 

A plan began to form in his mind.

~★~

**The Next Day**

  
Albus had a familiar book laid out in front of him: Tales of Beedle the Bard. He had had this book since he was a boy. It was old and worn, but he had so many memories attached to it… both good and bad.

He remembered how his mother would read the stories to him, his brother, and his sister. He also remembered how fascinated he had been by the Tale of the Three Brothers… and how his beloved Gellert had been even _more_ fascinated by it.

They had felt with all their hearts that the story was more than just a children’s tale, that the Hallows were actually real. Albus and Gellert had vowed to travel to find them all, and become Masters of Death together. Then, they said, they would start a revolution and liberate Wizardkind.

It had been a grand dream, but also one that was destined to fail. That didn’t seem to stop Lord Voldemort from trying to do the same thing, however. The ring had contained the Resurrection Stone, Albus was sure that Voldemort intended to get the Invisibility Cloak and the Elder Wand as well.

Lord Voldemort felt that his violent, tyrannical actions would liberate Wizardkind too. He was coming dangerously close to making that twisted dream a reality… Albus couldn’t allow that to happen.

Albus had intended to leave this to Hermione Granger in his will, along with a Deluminator for Ron Weasley and a Golden Snitch for Harry Potter. He knew that the book would inevitably lead her, Harry and Ron to the Hallows, but gradually enough that they wouldn’t lose sight of destroying the horcruxes. 

He also wanted to keep Harry from being too tempted by the Hallows... like he had been once.

However, now he had an entirely different plan for the book. He had made a duplicate copy as close to the original as he could in case this plan didn’t work, though he dearly hoped that it would. 

Albus opened to a part in the book and wrote a simple message:  
  


DO NOT PUSH HIM AWAY

  
He didn’t use a bookmark to mark the page, but something else… Gellert’s red ribbon. That would surely catch his younger self’s attention. He took a time turner, adjusted it to the time measurement he desired, and placed it by the book.

After the time turner had spun and the sand fell to the bottom of the hour glass, it and the book both disappeared into thin air. 


	2. Sins of the Father

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Ariana is assaulted by three Muggle Boys, Percival does something that will change his family’s lives forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big thank you to IhaveAbadfeelingAboutThis for beta reading this chapter, and for giving me a lot of great writing advice and encouragement! 💜

  
Percival Dumbledore didn't trust Muggles. His wife, who was Muggleborn herself, had expressed a desire to raise her children in Mould-on-the-Wold, a mixed Muggle and Wizard village. Percival had many concerns, but reluctantly decided to respect his wife’s wishes.

As often as he could, he impressed upon his children the importance of not letting down one’s guard around Muggles.

His eldest, Albus, had been the most receptive to what he preached. Albus always would nod and listen to his words. He didn't quite understand why his father was telling him these things, but he would always be careful and cautious whenever he was around Muggles regardless. 

Kendra, Percival’s wife, did not agree with what he was teaching their children. 

“You are teaching our children to live in fear! I will not stand for this!” She'd argue with her husband, her voice a loud, firm whisper. 

Albus would often overhear bits of his parents arguing, and soon a sort of morbid curiosity drove him to start actively listening in. He saw firsthand as the tension between his parents rose more and more. Their voices were still whispers, but they became angrier, sharper. 

Accusations began to be made; Kendra was Muggle-born, and she began to think that her husband wasn't as accepting of that as he had led her to believe. She may have had her reservations about the Muggle World, but she wouldn't let her children feel ashamed of their Muggle heritage if she could help it.

When Percival wasn't around, Kendra would allow the children to play outside as they wished, against her husband’s wishes. Albus usually preferred to stay indoors and read his books, but Aberforth quite enjoyed playing outdoors.

And then there was Ariana, the baby. Ariana was a free spirit, very independent for her age. She would often wander into the yard and play for hours at a time to pick flowers and look for bugs. Her favorite were butterflies. 

Kendra let her. Ariana was only six years old, and while she couldn't control her magic sometimes, small slip ups were normal for witches and wizards at her age. She figured if she checked on Ariana every once in a while that would be enough.

One day, it _wasn't_.

Kendra was attending to something in the house when she heard something horrible; cruel, joyous laughter… and the screams of one of her children, making a hellish chorus. A sound any mother hoped and prayed they would never have to hear. 

Kendra dropped everything and ran outside. Albus, who had been reading, heard the screams too. He couldn't help but to drop his book and follow his mother, his big brother instinct getting the best of him. 

Aberforth also heard and tried to keep up, asking the same questions over and over. “What happened? Was that Ariana? What's going on-?” Albus just ignored his brother.

When Albus made it to the garden, the boy was confronted with a horrifying sight; Ariana was on the ground sobbing. Her face, hair, and clothes were caked with dirt and her face was bruised and bloody. Kendra was standing protectively in front of her only daughter, guarding her from three boys who looked a bit older than him.

Albus shivered in fear, and he could feel tears welling in his eyes. Seeing his baby sister like this, hurt and broken, was the worst thing in the entire world. When Aberforth made it out, he let out a loud gasp, his big blue eyes widening in fear. 

“ARIANA!” He cried out and began to run to his little sister. 

Kendra quickly turned her head and snapped, “Stay back Aberforth!” Her face was twisted into a panicked expression. Aberforth went back to stand by Albus, tears running down his face.

The three boys were dressed like Muggles. Albus quickly realized that they were probably the ones that had attacked Ariana. 

He could see a figure running towards them from the farm behind their house.

“WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!” Percival screamed at the top of his lungs, running frantically to see what happened.

Percival looked down at his injured daughter on the ground before storming over to the Muggle boys, a wild look in his blue eyes. 

“What did you bastards do to my daughter?!” He roared, shaking with rage. 

Percival looked ready to tear the boys apart limb from limb with his bare hands. The boys cowered in fear as he got closer to them. Kendra jumped in front of Percival and the Muggle boys before her husband could make a terrible mistake.

“Percival, stop!” Kendra commanded, raising a hand up. “There's been enough violence here today. Let me handle this, and take care of our daughter, please.” 

Kendra glanced down at her sons, her eyes softening a bit before turning back to the boys. “Albus, Aberforth, go inside with your father.” 

Percival hesitated for a moment or two, but he did finally listen. He turned and went to Ariana, still sobbing, and picked her up in his arms and took her inside. Albus and Aberforth followed behind their father as they had been instructed, still shaking and crying.   
  
With her children out of harm’s way for now, Kendra rose her wand, her eyes burning with calculating fury. She locked eyes with the Muggle boys who had attacked her daughter... and then she cast her spell. 

“ _Obliviate_.”

  
~★~

  
It didn't take long for the scars from the attack to show themselves. Kendra had healed most of Ariana’s physical wounds using healing spells and potions, but the _mental_ wounds from the attack still remained. 

Ariana had been inconsolable ever since it happened. She kept crying at random moments, rocking back and forth, shivering uncontrollably. Kendra and Percival tried to comfort their daughter when she would have these crying fits, but to their frustration, they found it didn't seem to be helping. 

The fits got worse. Much, _much_ worse. Ariana began lashing out when anyone would touch her, even light touching. She'd scream, scratch, and hit. 

Then Ariana started losing control of her magic.

When she would get sad, scared, or angry, her eyes would go white and her hands would spark and burn with black smoke rising from them. She would violently convulse, her body twisting in unnatural ways, becoming distorted and demonic looking. It was as though something else was controlling her… possessing her.

Then, utter chaos would ensue.

Things around them would shatter and break, and the room would shake as Ariana screamed and wailed like a Banshee. There was nothing anyone could do when this happened but run. 

The tension between Kendra and Percival was rising, and their arguments got worse. Kendra wanted to take Ariana to St. Mungos to get treatment, but Percival would not have it.

“She needs **_help_** , Percival!” Kendra pleaded one night, her lovely brown eyes glossy and wet with tears. 

Percival gritted his teeth, his brow furrowing in frustration. 

“ _NO_ , we’re not sending her anywhere!” Percival snapped. There were storms brewing in his eyes, raging and tempestuous.

“If we send Ariana to St. Mungos, the Ministry will surely catch on to what happened… you know how the Ministry is, Kendra! They will deem her a threat to the Statute of Secrecy and permanently commit her… lock her away for the rest of her life.” 

Tears had crept from his eyes and started to spill down his flushed cheeks. He quickly wiped them away.

“They'll never let us see her again. _Never_.” 

Kendra’s lip quivered as she tried to keep herself from sobbing. “What should we do? Lock her away in this house for the rest of her life, then?” 

“Yes.” Percival answered bluntly. “At least until we get these fits of her’s to stop… we can't let _anyone_ , not even other witches or wizards, find out anything is wrong. This is the only way we can keep Ariana safe, love… the _only_ way.” 

“Alright.” Kendra breathed shakily. She knew there was no way she would win this fight… and perhaps her husband was right.

She couldn't hold her tears in anymore. She began to cry, silent, heart wrenching sobs that wracked her body and robbed her lungs of air, making it hard to breathe. 

Percival wrapped his arms around his wife in an attempt to comfort her. Kendra let him, clutching at the front of his shirt. Percival’s shirt soon became stained with her tears. 

Percival spotted something out of the corner of his eye. Albus hovered nearby, his big, twinkling blue eyes puffy and red and tears running down his cheeks.

“You're not going to send Ariana away, are you?” Albus asked, looking afraid. 

The sight of his eldest child and wife crying over the possibility of losing their sister and daughter respectively tore Percival apart inside, shattering his heart to pieces. He could feel both sadness and rage, equally powerful, rising within him.

“No, absolutely not.” Percival rasped, his voice raw. “Your mother and I wouldn't ever send your sister away, Albus… we promise you that.”

Kendra weakly nodded, trying to compose herself for her son’s sake. 

Percival and Kendra broke from each other to hug and comfort their son, but somehow, Albus couldn't help but have a terrible, gnawing feeling that the worst was yet to come.

  
~★~

After the attack, Percival was no longer himself. Normally a loving and attentive father and husband, he had become cold and distant. The warm smiles and the twinkle in his eyes were long gone. 

Albus and Aberforth would try to strike up a conversation with their father, and Kendra would try to kiss him or be intimate, but Percival would push them all away. He only seemed to care about keeping Ariana safe… his heart was too brittle and broken to have room for anything else. 

One night, Percival told everyone that he was off to the pub. Kendra couldn't help but get a bad feeling; her husband wasn't a big drinker and the only time he ever went to the pub was if he was invited by old school friends to catch up. 

Kendra didn't do anything to stop him, though. She didn't want to believe her husband was lying to her. She also didn't want to believe the dark, wild look in his eyes was real. So she ignored it.

Percival was gone for hours. Everyone was worried, but Kendra tried to reassure her children that everything was fine, and that their father would probably be back soon. For Ariana and Aberforth, this was enough to soothe their worries, and they went to sleep feeling content. 

Albus, however, wasn't able to sleep that night. He tossed and turned, feeling anxious. He knew his father, and he had sensed something wasn't right… he had started hearing bits and pieces of his father’s thoughts, and they frightened him. He could sense how afraid and depressed his father was… but also how bitter and angry he was. He knew his father was keeping all of this bottled up inside, and that soon, he wouldn't be able to anymore…

Early that morning, he heard the front door creaking open. Albus crawled out of bed, taking care not to wake Aberforth who was sleeping in the bed right beside his. 

He heard another sound behind the door: a gasp from his mother, and what sounded like a muffled cry or scream.

Blood pounded in his ears as morbid curiosity drove him to see what was going on. He made it to the end of the small hallway, and there he saw his father standing in front of his mother, his hands and shirt covered with _blood_ , blood that clearly wasn't his. 

Albus could sense his mother’s fear, but he could also see her standing tall, trying so hard to be brave. Percival was apologizing profusely, a wild look in his eyes. There was desperation on his features and in his voice, as if he feared that his wife would run away at any moment.

“What have you done?!” Kendra cried, her hands trembling with fear. “What have you done, Percival?! Tell me!”

Percival couldn't look his wife in the eye, instead he looked down to the floor in shame. He was pale as a ghost, covered in sweat, and was trembling even more than Kendra was. Percival also looked smaller than Albus had ever seen his father look. 

"I… I lost control." He rasped, his voice scratchy in his throat. 

“Those Muggles bastards that hurt our baby girl, I couldn't let them live their lives unpunished after what they had done to her. I swear, I had only meant to torture them at the beginning…” he began to speak slowly, still unable to look at his wife. 

Kendra’s eyes went wide with fear. Her husband didn't have to tell her what he did… she just knew.

And now, Albus knew too. Percival had _killed_ those boys. 

He was the son of a murderer, and that was something that would haunt him for the rest of his life.

~★~

It didn't take very long for the Aurors to find out what Percival had done. He was arrested that very afternoon, and was soon charged for brutally torturing and murdering those Muggle boys, and for using two Unforgivable Curses to do so: the Cruciatus Curse and the Killing Curse. Percival was sentenced to life in Azkaban for his crimes.

Shortly after her husband was arrested and condemned to a life of imprisonment, Kendra moved her family out of Mould-on-the-Wold to Godric’s Hollow, another mixed Muggle and Wizard village. 

Kendra made sure that not only was Ariana’s worsening condition a well kept secret, but that her entire existence was as well, even from their Wizard neighbors. Ariana was usually kept indoors, almost never allowed outside unless under close supervision. As far as everyone in Godric’s Hallow knew, Kendra Dumbledore had only two children.

To Albus, living in Godric’s Hollow just felt more like more of the same. They all still had to hide their magic from Muggles, and because of that they never could feel truly safe, not even in their own home.

And under the constant, watchful eye of his mother, he also never felt _free_. Not even for a moment; he always felt like she was watching his every move, waiting to see if he would fall out of line or slip up… and eventually he began to feel like the Muggles in their village were all watching too, waiting for the right moment to attack him for a being a freak.

Just like they had done to Ariana.

It didn't help that Albus had begun to hear voices, ones that no matter how hard he tried to tune them out he just couldn't. The voices sounded eerily like Aberforth and Ariana’s. It didn't take him long to realize that it was their thoughts he was hearing. Albus would hear their thoughts, random and jumbled, ringing in his mind until they both fell asleep. Strangely enough though, he never heard any of his mother’s thoughts. 

Sometimes, Albus wanted to tell his mother what was going on with him, to ask her if she could make it stop. But she was always so busy taking care of Ariana, and he didn't want to bother her… she didn't need another out of control child to have to worry about.


	3. Trapped and Wasted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a tragedy happens in the family, Albus is forced to change his plans.

Albus tried to convince his mother to send Ariana to St. Mungos before he had left for his final year at Hogwarts, to no avail.

“Mother, I know that this may sound cruel… but I really think Ariana needs to be sent to St. Mungos.” Albus spoke hesitantly.

Kendra had stopped mid action, her brown eyes wide and piercing. 

“ _No._ ” Her voice was cold with a sharp edge. “I will absolutely _not_ send Ariana to St. Mungos.”

Kendra looked both like a statue frozen in time and an otherworldly being ready to cast judgement. She always looked like this whenever he or Aberforth spoke or acted in a way she disapproved of. 

For once, that hadn’t stopped Albus from speaking his mind.

“Ariana is not only a danger to us, but to herself as well.” He continued. 

“Besides, what good is it going to do to hide her from the world for the rest of her life? She’s getting older now, and she has missed out on so many things already. I can feel how much it _hurts_ her, how much she wishes she could do the same things Aberforth and I do. She doesn’t tell you these things, but that’s because she can’t find the words to.”

“Years ago, you tried to convince Father to send Ariana to St. Mungos, what changed? Ariana still needs help _,_ and the staff at St. Mungos could help her get better -“

Kendra put up a hand, cutting him off. “Yes, I remember that conversation too, Albus. I had been naive then… much like _you_ are now. I thought that your father was being paranoid… but then I saw what happened to him.”

Kendra’s face softened. She looked into her son’s blue eyes, so much like his father’s, her own dark ones filled with sadness. 

“When they sent your father away, they sent him to _Azkaban_. What your father had done was wrong, yes, but before he killed those boys he had been a good man… and they sentenced him to _die_ in that place, never able to see his family again.”

She sighed deeply, suddenly looking very tired. 

“I hate to do this to her too, Albus. I would give anything for things to be different. But we have no choice… if we had Ariana sent to St. Mungos, we would lose her forever, and she wouldn’t be free there either. The Ministry would consider her a threat to the Statue of Secrecy and she’d be treated accordingly.”

“She’s not free here, that’s true. But at least she still has _us_.”

Albus didn’t bother to argue against her. He knew it would be futile.

~★~

Mother was dead, and Ariana was the one who killed her. It seemed really crass to say, but it was the honest truth. Kendra had died in an explosion caused by Ariana’s uncontrollable magic.

It had happened while Albus was preparing to travel abroad with his best friend, Elphias Doge. He had been informed of his mother’s death by a letter. He hadn’t even gotten the chance to say goodbye. 

Aberforth insisted that he could take care of Ariana on his own. He and Ariana had always been very close, even as children. 

As tempted as Albus was to let Aberforth take care of Ariana while he did what he wanted, Aberforth hadn’t finished his education yet. He also was only two years older than Ariana himself, and Albus wasn’t sure he would be able to be a proper caretaker. Leaving them both alone wouldn't be right.

Ariana losing control was nothing new. It was something they all were quite used to by now. When she would have one of her fits things would break, sometimes if they got really bad the room would shake or a small fire would break out. Clearly they had all gotten _too_ used to it, too complacent.

Albus lamented that he couldn’t have been there to save her. 

Ariana was devastated, of course. She had been very quiet since he’d come back, an air of sorrow and guilt surrounding her. There were many days she would just lay in her bed, staring into nothing. Ariana was eating even less than usual too, though Aberforth could usually get her to eat a little bit after some convincing.

Albus knew he shouldn’t feel resentful, it was a tragic accident. Ariana hadn’t meant to kill their mother, and mother hadn’t meant to die and leave him stuck raising his siblings. Despite that, he couldn’t help but feel angry and bitter. 

Every day that passed, he felt the love and admiration he’d had for his mother slowly chip away more and more. If only she had stopped being so stubborn and listened to him! She would still be alive, and Ariana might have some chance at a normal life.

Taking care of Ariana was a challenge. Ariana was a sweet girl and he knew she wasn’t trying to be a burden, but taking care of her was exhausting. Getting her out of bed, trying to get her to eat, and most of all making sure that Ariana didn’t lose control again. 

Aberforth also seemed to be going through a phase, which certainly didn’t help matters. When he wasn’t trying to cheer Ariana up, he was tending to his goats and would be gone for hours at a time. When he would talk to Albus, he would often be short or mouth off. It was an added irritation on top of their already dismal circumstances.

Albus was going to travel the world and escape this miserable little house. He was going to see and do incredible things, his future had looked so bright. Albus was going to get his chance to shine, to walk the path to glory. Then, his future got snuffed out like a flame doused with water. 

He was stuck here, trapped and wasted.

~★~

One day, there was a knock at the door. When Albus opened it, he was relieved to see it was Bathilda Bagshot. The middle aged witch was a bit eccentric, but Albus liked her better than their other neighbors. 

She wasn’t a gossip who spread malicious lies about their family like some of their other neighbors. Bathilda had been a friend of his mother’s, one of her only friends to his knowledge. She was a writer, and when she came over she would often share stories with Albus. Bathilda had travelled to many exotic places and she knew a lot about the Wizarding World at large.

“Good morning, Bathilda! It’s nice to see you.” Albus greeted her.

“Good morning to you as well, Albus.” Bathilda nodded. “I’ve come to offer my condolences.”

Suddenly Albus found himself buried under a mess of robes and frizzy, graying brown hair. After a few moments, she backed off, taking his hands in her’s.

“I heard what happened to your mother… oh dear, I’m so sorry. Your mother was a good witch and a good friend. I’ll miss her dearly, though I’m sure you all will miss her even more.”

“If you need anything, anything at all, don’t be afraid to ask. I’m sure it’s been hard, trying to take of Aberforth and Ariana by yourself… your mother would be proud of you.”

Albus gave her a sad smile. “Thank you Bathilda, I appreciate that very much. You have always been so kind to us and our family... mother thought you were a good friend as well.” 

Bathilda wiped away the tears that had been welling up in her eyes. It hurt Albus’ heart to see.

“Oh… yes, I have a gift basket for you by the way!” She quickly changed the subject and handed him a weaved basket filled with all sorts of baked goodies. 

“I made some bread, cookies, scones... and some tea cakes for Aberforth, of course.”

“Abe will be very pleased.” Albus chuckled. “He’ll finish them all by the end of the day.”

“Ah yes, I’m sure he will, and will probably ask for seconds.” Bathilda laughed too. 

“I have something I wanted to ask you too… I have a great nephew who’s about Aberforth’s age, he’s going to be staying with me for a while. He doesn’t have any friends here, and he really needs some. I think he would get along well with you both… _especially_ you.”

Her eyes twinkled mischievously. 

“I would like to bring him over tomorrow, if that’s alright, perhaps we could all have tea together. You boys could chat, and I could watch Ariana… “

Albus thought for a few moments before answering. “Yes, I think that would be alright, as long as Ariana is in a calm mood. I think it would do all three of us some good to meet someone new, and it sounds like it may do your great nephew some good as well…”

“Great!” Bathilda beamed. “I’ll bring him tomorrow, at 12. I’ll bring lots of tea cakes, just make sure Aberforth saves some for the rest of us!”

“Thank you Bathilda, I will.” Albus smiled, the first genuine smile in a long time.

After Bathilda waved goodbye and made her way home, Albus went to make dinner. He was nervous but also very excited about this... he was sure it was probably because he was going stir crazy and hadn’t met someone new in what felt like ages. 

Albus just hoped this guest would like them.


	4. The Guest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Dumbledore Family meets Bathilda’s great nephew.

**The Next Day**

  
At 12:00 on the dot, there was a knock at the door. Bathilda and her great nephew were here. Albus had brewed some tea already, and put on one of his nicer outfits. For some reason, he felt like this guest was someone he needed to impress, even though Albus hadn’t even met him yet. He tried to get Aberforth to dress up too, but Aberforth had just huffed and rolled his eyes, refusing to do it. As for Ariana, he didn’t even bother to ask. He knew that Ariana felt uncomfortable in certain kinds of clothing, so he wasn’t going to push it.

Albus opened the door to greet Bathilda and their guest. What he saw left him speechless.

Bathilda’s great nephew was dressed in striking red robes, with a simple white shirt, dark gray trousers and vest underneath. He had long, curly golden blond hair that was tied back with a red ribbon. Albus thought those colors suited him very well. 

The younger Wizard looked right at Albus, his lips curling into a charming smile. Albus’ heart fluttered, his breath catching in his throat. It was like the blond had cast a Petrification spell on him without having to say a word.

He realized everyone except for the blond seemed to be staring at him, looking a bit puzzled by his behavior. He had been caught staring… how embarrassing!

“Ah, hello! Welcome!” Albus blurted out, a blush rising on his cheeks. 

Bathilda saved him by doing the introductions. 

“This is my great nephew, Gellert Grindelwald.” She gestured to the blond. 

“Gellert, this is Albus Dumbledore.” 

Albus smiled, trying his damndest not to look awkward. He was sure he was failing. 

“It’s nice to meet you, Gellert. My siblings and I have been looking forward to meeting you, and I hope that we can all become friends.” Albus put out his hand for Gellert to shake it.

Gellert leaned forward, a flash of mischief in his eyes, and gave Albus a kiss on the cheek instead.

Albus’ blushed furiously, his skin burning. He felt like he was going to explode.

After what was probably a little too long, Gellert pulled away, that devilishly charming smile still on his face. 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you too, Albus. I have a feeling we’ll all get along well, especially _you and I_.“ his green eyes twinkled as he looked deeply into Albus’ blue ones.

It was then that Albus had finally noticed little Ariana standing there. He had been so distracted by the gorgeous boy in front of him he hadn’t even noticed her.

“Hello…” Ariana murmured, too shy to quite look Gellert in the eye. 

“Hello.” Gellert replied. “You must be Albus’ sister… what’s your name?”

“Ariana.” She said softly.

“That’s a very pretty name.” Gellert gave her a kind smile, taking one of her small hands and gently kissing it. Ariana looked up then, her eyes brightening up for the first time in a long time.

“Your voice sounds different… you aren’t from here.” She said matter of factly. 

Albus’ eyes widened, his brows shooting up. Since Ariana hadn’t spent much time with anyone besides them, mother, and Bathilda, she sometimes didn’t understand what was appropriate to say and what wasn’t. Still, he was horrified and hoped Gellert wouldn’t take offense.

“That wasn’t very nice to say, Ari.” Albus’ told her, a bit of sternness in his voice. 

Gellert let out a lighthearted laugh. “It’s alright, I’m not upset… I’m from Austria.”

“Austria… that probably means you go to Durmstrang, then.” Albus commented. “I’ve never met someone who attended that school.”

“We’ll have to exchange stories then, hm?” Gellert replied. “I’d be interested to learn more about Hogwarts, as well.” 

“Yeah, we can exchange plenty of stories while we EAT.” Aberforth spoke out of the blue. He was leaning against the counter, arms crossed and looking like he wanted to be anywhere else but here. 

Albus gave him a warning look but didn’t scold him, not now anyway. 

“I made some tea for all of us.” Albus said. “I’m sure everyone is looking forward to your tea cakes as well, Bathilda.” 

Bathilda smiled. “Well, let’s get to it then! You do make a fine cup of tea, Albus.”

As Albus helped Bathilda set up the table, Gellert decided to finally say hello to Aberforth.

“I’ll pass on the kiss, mate.” Aberforth put up a hand, making a face like he had been asked to kiss a pixie. 

Gellert smirked and walked away. “Ihr Verlust.” He muttered under his breath.

Once the table was set up, everyone sat down. Everyone took a tea cake, except for Aberforth, who took four and immediately inhaled two of them.

“So… I heard you have published a few articles on Transfiguration.” Gellert said, taking a bite of his tea cake as he looked at Albus expectantly.

“Ah, yes… I did.” Albus was surprised to hear someone all the way from Austria had heard of his work. “Have you read them?”

“Of course.” Gellert replied. “I found them quite informative… you have a real talent for writing. I’ve never seen any author go as deeply into the nuances and intricacies of Transfiguration as you do. Yet… you also talk about it in a way anyone can understand.”

“Transfiguration was never my best subject, but even I could get it.” Gellert chuckled. 

Albus raised a brow. “Oh? If you want, I could help you with what you’re having trouble with.” He offered. 

Gellert smiled. “That’s generous of you… perhaps I’ll take you up on that offer sometime.” 

Gellert took a sip of tea, licking his lips after. Slowly. Albus tried not to fixate on the blond’s full lips, or his pink tongue. He most definitely wasn’t thinking how much he’d like to _kiss_ Gellert right now, either.

“So uh, what subject is your favorite?” Albus struggled to speak, his mouth suddenly dry. He took a big drink of tea.

“Hm... I enjoy a lot of them, it’s hard to pick just one as my favorite.” Gellert leaned on his hand, looking thoughtful. 

“I’d say the classes I enjoy the most are Charms, Study of Ancient Runes, Divination, Ancient Studies, Flying… and Dark Arts.”

“Oh, flying!” Ariana cheerfully piped up. “I’ve always wanted to do that, it looks like so much fun! Albus I want to fly too…” 

Aberforth stopped eating, looking confused.

“Ummm… you mean DEFENSE AGAINST the Dark Arts, right?” 

Gellert looked at Aberforth, looking confused himself at the question.

“No. I don’t.” He answered. 

There was a moment of awkward silence. Then Gellert asked a question of his own.

“So, Albus... I hear Hogwarts is co ed.” Gellert leaned back a bit in his chair, the edges of his lips curling up in a small smirk. 

“Have you got a girlfriend?”

Albus started blushing again, much to his annoyance. “Oh, no… goodness no!” 

Albus had never been interested in girls at all. Oh, he could appreciate them aesthetically, like one could appreciate a nice painting. But being physically attracted to them? No.

He had felt that way towards some of his _male_ peers, however. He had admired the bodies of a few quidditch players before, and he had fantasized about doing certain things with Elphias once or twice.

But with Gellert, he felt different… this attraction was _stronger_ , more intense. The blond had enchanted him, both his body and mind.

“Oh, really? I’m surprised.” Gellert balked. “You are talented and educated… and handsome, too. I’d think you would have a lot of girls flocking to marry you.”

Did… did Gellert just call him _handsome_? Albus could feel his heart fluttering in his chest. 

“Uh, well… I have always preferred to focus on my studies. I’m not really in a hurry to get married or anything like that.”

“Ah, I see.” Gellert nodded. “I understand. Durmstrang is an all boys school, so I never got the chance to be distracted by girls, but if I had I probably would have done the same thing.”

Aberforth, having finished his tea cakes, grabbed more. 

“Eh, doesn’t it get boring, always studying?” He stuffed his mouth full with a tea cake.

“Me, I like to have some fun every once in a while.”

“Oh… you mean like almost blowing yourself up trying to transfigure water into fire whiskey?” Albus smirked.

Gellert laughed. Aberforth scowled.

“Hey! If it had worked, then I would have had a hell of a party! Not that you’d be invited… you’d probably snitch to the Headmaster, you goody two shoes.”

“That does sound fun, actually.” Gellert commented. “I started a few parties at Durmstrang myself… I got in trouble, of course, but it was worth it.”

“Though we usually drank beer at mine.”

Albus found this odd. Gellert seemed to be an intellectual who took his studies very seriously, but yet he was bragging about throwing parties, drinking, and getting into trouble.

Gellert Grindelwald certainly was an enigma… one that Albus very much wanted to solve.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, Gellert has finally arrived! I originally intended to focus this chapter entirely on Gellert and Albus, but Aberforth ended up making his way in there too lol. 
> 
> Also, as a note for the future... Aberforth is NOT homophobic in this fic. He refuses a kiss because he’s in a grumpy mood and isn’t a fan of Gellert. I want to make that clear, just because a lot of fics make him homophobic and I’m not planning on doing that. 
> 
> And now to begin the translations of Gellert’s German that will be in many chapters to come:
> 
> Ihr Verlust = Your Loss


	5. The Boy In The Window

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gellert pays Albus a late night visit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big thanks to ComradeCourt again for beta reading, and helping me with editing and dialogue, particularly with Gellert’s 💙
> 
> Albus continues to be a flustered mess over Gellert in this chapter, lol. 
> 
> This chapter has an explicit scene at the beginning. It’s a fantasy and doesn’t actually happen, but since Gellert is 16, I want to add this warning for anyone who doesn’t wish to read that.

  
That night, Albus hadn’t been able to sleep. He couldn’t get his mind off Gellert, no matter how hard he tried. This beautiful boy had put a spell on him, one that would be very difficult to break if not impossible. 

Albus craved the younger wizard’s touch, the feel of their skin brushing against each other. He wanted so badly to kiss Gellert, imagining how soft the blond’s lips would feel against him. Albus pictured himself holding Gellert in his arms, their bodies melding together. 

He could just imagine Gellert wrapping his arms around him, whispering sweet words into his ear with that lovely voice of his, flirting with him and stroking his ego. Albus would run his fingers through the other wizard’s curly blond hair, which would be soft and silky to the touch, he was sure.

He could feel himself getting hard, the warmth from his loins quickly spreading to his belly. Albus ached with need. This wasn’t a feeling he was used to… no one had affected him this much like this before. 

No one except for Gellert Grindelwald.

Albus unbuttoned his pants, hand drifting under the fabric of his underwear. He started to stroke his cock, using gentle touches at first. Albus closed his eyes, imagining that it was Gellert’s hand that was stroking him instead of his own.

He increased the pace and pressure, his freckled face turning pink. Albus could see Gellert so clearly in his mind, his elegant fingers stroking up and down his shaft. Gellert was looking down at him, his green eyes glittering and a sexy smile on his lips. 

Albus began to pant and moan, beads of sweat forming on his brow. He could feel the heat inside him building and building, the combination of his own stroking and Gellert’s handsome face nearly driving him mad.

Then, Gellert started to speak. 

“You’re so _beautiful._ ” The blond purred, his voice sweet as honey as he continued to stroke the red haired man beneath him. “You make such lovely faces when you’re being pleased… I would love to explore that more.”

Albus reached up, entangling his hands in Gellert’s golden locks, his face twisting with pleasure as his back arched up from his bed. 

“Ah… ah, Gellert!” He cried out, another wave of pleasure hitting him. 

“I want you… no, I _need_ you! Ah… give me _more_ , please!”

Gellert grinned. “Of course, I’ll give you more… I’ll give you anything you want, my dear Albus.”

Albus moaned, his legs quivering as the speed of the stroking picked up. He was sure Aberforth and Ariana could probably hear him… he really should have cast a silencing charm. Oh well, too late for that now.

“ _Yes_... “ Gellert breathed. “Show me how good you feel.”

Albus moaned loudly, gasping Gellert’s name as pulled tighter on the blond’s hair. He finally released, his back hitting the mattress. His face was red and flushed, and he needed a minute or two to catch his breath. 

When he opened his eyes again, Gellert wasn’t there anymore. 

Albus had made quite a mess of himself. He sighed, getting up and grabbing his wand. He just hoped that one Tergeo would be enough.

Albus had forgotten to close the curtains all the way. In the house next door, a certain blond wizard was grinning ear to ear.

~★~  
  


**The Next Night**

Albus was glad this day was over. He had made dinner, cleaned up the kitchen, and put Ariana to bed. Now he could finally have some time to himself to relax. He decided he would settle in with a book, reading for a while before going to sleep.

When he opened the door, he saw Gellert sitting in his window.

Albus almost yelled in surprise. “Ah! Gellert! What… what are you doing here?!”

Gellert gave him an impish grin. “I wanted to come over again. So… I came over.” 

His leg swung casually over the ledge, he had looked so relaxed and at ease. As if he belonged there lounging on Albus's window sill. Gellert reminded Albus of Puck from “A Midsummer Night's Dream”... _this surely must be just a strange dream_ , Albus thought. 

Albus gave the younger wizard an exasperated look. “If you wanted to see us, you could have used the door… and it’s a bit late. Ariana and Aberforth are sleeping now-“

Gellert hopped down from the window sill, striding over to Albus. The younger golden haired boy exuded an air of confidence. Albus’ could feel his heart pounding in his ears, drowning out all the other noise.

“I don’t want to see them right now.” Gellert’s eyes flashed mischievously.

“I want to see _you._ ” The blond still had that smile on his face. Albus couldn’t even be mad at him, even though he knew he probably should be. He just didn’t have the heart to object to Gellert’s behavior… not when he was smiling like _that_.

“I see… why do you want to see me, Gellert?” Albus asked.

Gellert was quiet for a few moments, as if he was trying to figure out what he wanted to say next. He placed a hand on his chin, thinking carefully over how he wanted to approach the subject. 

“Ah… well, you said that you hoped we could all be friends.” Gellert began. 

Albus nodded, his mouth feeling dry. He couldn’t believe this was happening right now. “Yes, I did say that.”

“The minute I met you, I sensed that you and I were kindred spirits.” Gellert’s eyes glittered as he looked deeply into Albus’, green meeting blue. His cheeks flushed slightly, avoiding his gaze from the brilliant, fiery haired boy in front of him.

“I… I want to be _close_ to you, Albus.” Gellert didn’t look as confident as he had been earlier, in fact, he looked a little nervous. He was… _vulnerable_. Perhaps he wasn’t what Albus had perceived him to be.

Albus’ heart started to beat a bit faster, waiting with baited breath in anticipation of what the other wizard would say next. He swallowed thickly, trying not to throw up from pure nerves. This was simply unreal… Albus’ crush stood before him just as he had fantasized about. 

“Yes, I want that very much. To be close.” Gellert continued, his sharp green eyes looking to Albus. “Do you understand?”

“Auntie Thilda told me a little about what happened to your mother, how you had lost her and were stuck taking care of your siblings by yourself. You seem like you could use someone to talk to about it… A _friend_." Gellert murmured softly. 

"Perhaps, that person could be _me_...”

Albus was quite taken aback when Gellert said that. They barely knew each other… yet Gellert, a complete stranger, was going out of his way to personally offer his companionship and comradery. His heart leaped back up into his throat. This was the first time he had felt such love and caring in a long while… from _anyone_. 

He was incredibly touched to know the other wizard cared this much… but this felt very strange to him as well. For much of his life, keeping secrets and telling lies was expected. Expected to maintain his family’s unstable status quo.

Now, he had someone who wanted to have an honest conversation… he was definitely not used to this. Not at all. 

“That… is very kind of you, Gellert.” Albus spoke slowly and carefully. He tried his damndest not to let the storm of emotions he was experiencing show. 

“Things have been very hard lately… “ He breathed deeply, letting out a sigh. 

“They have been for quite some long time, to be honest.”

Gellert raised a brow slightly, looking at Albus with interest. 

Albus quickly realized that he shouldn’t have said that. He wanted desperately to let the younger wizard in, to talk freely and honestly with him. However, Albus knew he needed to still be cautious.

Gellert may have been eager to be his friend, someone he could trust and confide in, but he was still practically a stranger. Albus didn’t feel safe to reveal _everything_ just yet, especially not what had happened with Ariana and their mother.

He didn’t want to push Gellert away though. Albus could sense they were kindred spirits as well, and he wanted more than anything to have someone in his life that really and truly understood him. Letting Gellert get close to him was a risk, but it was one that Albus was willing to take. 

“I want to be close to you too, Gellert.” Albus murmured softly. 

“We haven’t known each other for very long, but I can’t help but feel that there’s a _reason_ you’ve entered my life, and I’ve entered your’s.”

Gellert’s eyes lit up. “Yes!” the blond spoke earnestly, nodding enthusiastically in agreement. 

“I agree completely, it feels like you and I were _meant_ to meet each other.” 

Albus wondered why Gellert wanted to be his friend so badly, and why the other wizard acted so affectionately towards him. 

Normally Albus would already know why, due to his Legilimency. For some reason he couldn’t gather anything from Gellert’s mind, even though he was actively trying to.

He suddenly felt a warm hand reaching for his… Gellert gave it a gentle squeeze. Albus gulped, his freckled skin flushed yet again. 

Albus couldn't help but notice the way the other wizard’s shirt clung against his lean yet toned chest and arms. It was distracting and it made it a bit hard for him to focus. 

His eyes fluttered up, and he saw Gellert staring at him, waiting for a reply. 

“I am looking forward to getting to know you better, Gellert.” Albus gently laid his other hand over Gellert’s. 

“As much as I’d love to talk with you all night, it is quite late… we both should get some sleep. However, you are more than welcome to come over tomorrow afternoon. I may have to take care of Ariana and Aberforth first, but once I’m finished we should have plenty of time to talk about whatever we’d like.”

Gellert nodded. “Ah, I understand… I’m sure you’ve had a long day and need your rest.” The blond pulled his hand away, though he seemed a bit hesitant to do so.

“Good night, Albus. I hope you sleep well.”

Albus smiled sadly, feeling a bit bad now for asking the other wizard to leave.

“Good night Gellert, I hope you sleep well also.”

Gellert leaned forward, a teasing smile on his face, and kissed Albus on the cheek. Albus skin burned, his cheeks turning red… just like last time. Gellert lingered for a while, trying not to grin at the other wizard’s reaction.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, _meine liebe_.” Gellert whispered in the red haired wizard’s ear, before finally pulling away. 

Gellert left with a wave of goodbye and a mischievous twinkle in his green eyes.

Albus stood there, still blushing furiously and wondering if that had really just happened, or if this had all just been an elaborate dream.

What in Merlin’s beard just happened?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gellert sure is forward, isn’t he?
> 
> Translations:
> 
> Mein Liebe = My Love


End file.
